Creating a life abroad

Malaysians who stay in foreign countries will face a hard time to cope with, as they will be facing struggles like discrimination, visa issues and financial issues. Similar to foreigners living in Malaysia, one cannot help but wonder if they face the same challenges.

Foreigners come to live in Malaysia with the purpose to either seek a suitable job or pursue their studies.

According to the latest population counts of 2019 in Malaysia, in the total of over 32 million people, more than 1.7 million are foreigners from countries like Bangladesh and Indonesia. The numbers are still increasing at the rate of 137 foreigners arriving per day.

However, their struggles have not come to an end, as blending in the living style while trying to survive is another part of the story.

“So when were you here for this long stay?” I began my interview without hesitation.

“I came to Malaysia in 2012, I studied my secondary school, got into college and got my diploma. It’s been almost 7 years since I first came here in Penang,” he replied.

He added that the problem that he faced living in Malaysia is the sense of homesickness, as being far away from home is not comfortable at first.

“I am not really a family guy, but it does come into realization when living abroad for too long that I do miss my family. I can’t really go home often because the flight tickets are pricey. I have no other options but to buy two tickets since there is no direct flight to my hometown, Makassar, which is in South Sulawesi of Indonesia. So I think the problem that I face living abroad is being homesick,” he said.

People face struggles all the time, and there will be solutions and positive thoughts for all of them. The same goes to foreigners staying in Malaysia as well. They might have a hard time living abroad, but they will always find a way to get console for their hearts and minds.

“When I miss my family, I will contact them, no matter using social media or phone calls. As I got to keep in touch with my family, I will feel better and motivational strengths will come to me eventually,” he added.

Life of struggles

Dr. Yang Jie, a professional educator who also came to Malaysia from China, also gave his opinions on encountering struggles in life.

“Life is all about experiences. There will always be pain while we are experiencing life. Ups and downs in life are more than just common, and these kinds of experiences will become a future strength to a certain one that will bring benefits to him/her,” he said.

He added on that he himself faced an almost similar situation like Mr Sentosa’s scenario.

“I went all over the world for study and work purposes right after my studies. Things were never easy as a lot of hardships like blending in with the culture and fighting against time, are always in my way. However, with the love and support from my family and friends, I know that I can still hold on to myself,” he said.

He added on that living while working in Malaysia is a training for him.

“Working here to prove myself cooperative with the colleagues is one of my challenges here. I will have to put in a lot of efforts to do well of my job as well as hanging along well with the colleagues. Although the beginning of the phase is difficult, I reached my achievement of communicating well with them,” he said.

It goes to say that these two characters have sparked my views on life challenges, as even foreigners are doing a good job in coping well in Malaysia, my own country.